Boosting Energy With Food

Food as Body Energy Fuel

It’s well-known that food fuels our body energy, but knowing what to eat, when to eat and how to eat are the keys to using food to fight off low energy. Interestingly, what most people go for to gain fast energy, like high-sugar found in candy, soda and even simple carbohydrates such as potato chips and high caffeine sources such as coffee and energy drinks, are exactly what you should avoid if you need to boost long-term energy.

Since your body turns food into energy by transforming its elements into blood sugar, the types of sugars contained in your food dictate how efficiently your body performs this process. While carbohydrates convert most easily into blood sugar, it might seem like it would be your best choice for eating to gain energy, but simple carbohydrates, like sugar or what is found in white four for instance, breaks down so rapidly that following a quick spike in blood sugar, your levels quickly drop leaving you feeling drained and tired. Complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, replace this fast surge and drop of blood sugar with steadier energy resources that can last throughout the day without experiencing a surge or drop.

Also, eating the right foods at the right time and in the right amounts with the right combination are key to success in fighting low energy.

Here’s a cute kid who gives detailed explanation how to make a healthy banana bread.

A balanced mix of complex carbohydrates, protein and low fat are an essential blend. A small salad with turkey and sunflower seeds or whole grain bread with natural almond butter would be good choices.

Distribute calories equally through breakfast, lunch, and dinner and some healthy snacks. Eating a light breakfast, skipping lunch and finishing with a huge dinner is the least energy-efficient meal schedule you could practice. Hint: You don’t need many calories if your next activity for the day is sleep.

Eating five times a day, including a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack while ensuring your other three meals are adjusted to keep your daily calorie intake regulated. Including snacks is a huge energy booster because you are fueling your body between meals just when you need an energy boost most, and it can help encourage you not to under-eat or over eat. Maintaining an appropriate portion size for healthy meals and snacks also will help you sustain energy throughout the day.

Consider oatmeal and an apple for breakfast, a 1/4 cup of almonds for a snack, vegetable soup and hummus with veggies for lunch, a small wheat berry salad for a snack, followed by shrimp and vegetable stir fry for dinner.

Don’t over eat at a meal-your energy will drop like a post-Thanksgiving feast couch crawl. Don’t skip a meal-not only are you sure to deplete your body of the energy it needs, you are likely to want to over-eat during your next meal due to hunger.

As for calories, consider these calorie allotments: If you’re a fairly typical woman, your calorie count per day will probably be between 1,400 and 2,000. So, If you’re aiming for 2,000 calories, plan 500 calories at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Midmorning and midafternoon snacks are at 250. If you’re down at 1,400 total calories, your meals should be 400 calories each, with two 100-calorie snacks. Men will likely have a higher caloric intake goal.

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